The Chan master Nan’in lived during Japan’s Meiji era. In Japan, Chan is known as Zen, and one day a research professor came to Nan’in to ask about Zen. Nan’in received him and offered him a cup of tea.

Chan Master Nan’in poured tea into his guest’s cup until it was full, and then continued to pour. The professor watched as the tea spilled out all over the table. After a moment, the professor spoke up:

“Master, the cup is already full and the tea is spilling out. You don’t need to pour any more!”

“You are just like this cup, for inside you are full of your own views. You must first empty your mind of attachments before it is possible for our Zen tea to flow into your mind:’ In Buddhist circles we commonly hear expressions like “empty the self” or “eliminate the self,” but the true emptiness of the Dharma is not staring mindlessly into space or giving up in a negative way. Rather, it means not having “a notion of self, a notion of others, a notion of sentient beings, or a notion of longevity.” To not possess these notions does not mean that we must abandon the notions of self, others, sentient beings, and longevity, but rather that we simply do not cling to the notion of self, the notion of others, the notion of sentient beings, and the notion of longevity. Even though we abide within notions, we should learn to tum away from them.

There is an old Buddhist verse that says, “True emptiness does not interfere with wondrous existence, for there cannot be wondrous existence without true emptiness:’ Emptiness is quite difficult to understand, for it is a truth not easily mastered. What exactly then does “emptiness” mean?

For most people there is a clear distinction between “emptiness” and “existence.” Such people might think that anything that exists can’t possibly be “empty,” and anything that is empty can’t possibly exist. But this is not emptiness as it is described in the Diamond Sutra. The emptiness of the Diamond Sutra is not absolute nothingness, but rather is something that can contain both existence and non-existence.

Consider again the metaphor of the fist: When one’s fingers are clenched, the fist is clearly there. But when the five fingers are spread out, where did the fist go? The fist that was so clearly apparent has now disappeared. And if one were to say there is no fist, simply clenching one’s fingers together and the fist appears once more. The Diamond Sutra uses its discussion of emptiness to show that nothing in the world remains constant and unchanging. There is nothing that exists independent of cause and effect. Existence is thus non-existence, and non-existence is also existence.

The idea that emptiness can contain both existence and non-existence is the very meaning of causes and conditions. What then are causes and conditions? Consider two people meeting: When two people meet and then separate, it is only after such a separation that they may meet again. The causal relationship between two people involves meeting, as well as separation. Where there was once flat ground, depending upon many causal factors, we can build a lofty skyscraper. But eventually, as we saw with the Twin Towers in New York, even a tall skyscraper can be made to fall to the ground. A skyscraper contains emptiness both in its construction and its collapse.

A plant slowly grows from a seed until it can sprout flowers, and then after those flowers bloom they will later fall to the ground, and become part of the soil that will allow other seeds to grow. After the flowers fall away, the plant may produce fruit, which becomes food for animals, or it may fall to the ground and rot. In this way the plant’s seeds are spread around to begin new life. “Existence” and “non-existence” are points on the same circle where the starting point is also the ending point. By allowing the presence of both existence and non-existence, emptiness is the essence of the universe and the foundation of human life.

Buddhists commonly use the phrase “Amitofo;’ which is nominally the name of Amitabha Buddha, but actually encompasses many, many meanings. For example, when Buddhists first see each other, they may say”Amitofo;’ as a greeting, and then it means”Ah, you are here.” When we see each other for the first time, “Amitofo” can be our “good morning.” Before we are about to leave some place, we might say “Amitofo;’ and then it becomes “goodbye.” If we see someone fall and hurt themselves, we may say “Amitofo,” and then it becomes a way to express our caring for others. If we see a mother strike her child, we may say, “Ouch, Amitofo,” as a way to express our sympathy and sadness. If we receive a gift, we may say “Amitofo” to express our gratitude.

“Amitofo” indeed can have many meanings, and it takes on each of these meanings depending upon the context of the conversation. Emptiness is just like “Amitofo” in that it is free of temporal, spatial, and contextual restrictions. It is merely a temporary label used for convenience to establish and communicate the Dharma.

Some people become afraid when talking about emptiness: If the sky, the earth, and everything in the world is empty, with even all our sons and daughters being empty, isn’t this terrible? If everything is empty, doesn’t that mean that we have nothing at all?

But that is not the case. The way that emptiness works is not too different from being a Buddhist monastic. A Buddhist monastic has left home to join the monastic order, but in doing so, everywhere can now be his home. Likewise we should not be afraid of not having any children, for as long as you possess the heart of a mother or father, then all the people in the world will be your children. We need not be afraid of living with no wealth, for as long as we can make a spiritual commitment, everything in the world is ours.

Remember Chan Master Nan’in: before inquiring about Zen, he wanted the professor to empty his mind of attachments. Only an empty briefcase can be packed with things, only an empty railroad car can carry passengers, only empty nostrils can breathe air, and only an empty mouth can eat food. Only when there is enough space can people live and move about.

The Diamond Sutra shows us how to live peaceably within emptiness, showing us how to live within the wondrous existence of true emptiness without clinging to the rise and fall of causes and conditions. We cannot enjoy this freedom until we no longer abide anywhere.

Source: Hsing Yun. Four Insights for Finding Fulfillment: A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Diamond Sutra. Los Angeles: Buddha’s Light Publishing, 2012.